View Full Version : Wal-Mart Nation
Jason Tate
12/13/05, 03:34 PM
MC Lars (http://www.absolutepunk.net/mclars)' "Wal-Mart Nation" has been posted on Walmartmovie.com (http://www.walmartmovie.com/soundtrack.php).
OveriseFan
12/13/05, 03:37 PM
That post is phrased terribly...
haha.
fredrico0012
12/13/05, 03:39 PM
Why are people against Wal-Mart? Oh yeah thats right, they are really succesful company.
Jason Tate
12/13/05, 03:40 PM
Why are people against Wal-Mart? Oh yeah thats right, they are really succesful company.
Psh. Really? You think that's why? Hahahahaha...
Google Wal-Mart to find out about some of their business practices
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html
or the lawsuits against them ...
http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-45,GGLG:en&q=walmart&sa=N&tab=wn
A picasso blue
12/13/05, 03:41 PM
MC Lars. i despise that man so
Why are people against Wal-Mart? Oh yeah thats right, they are really succesful company.
dsafdfghahahahahahahaa
wastedspacejm
12/13/05, 03:42 PM
Why are people against Wal-Mart? Oh yeah thats right, they are really succesful company.
it's because they move into towns, drop their prices to below cost (ILLEGAL!!), force all the small shops out of business, and then raise their prices just enough so it's legal. Basically, they fuck over everybody.
I DON'T EVEN WANT ONE COPY OF TIMECOP!
-Aca
wastedspacejm
12/13/05, 03:48 PM
Psh. Really? You think that's why? Hahahahaha...
Google Wal-Mart to find out about some of their business practices
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html
or the lawsuits against them ...
http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-45,GGLG:en&q=walmart&sa=N&tab=wn
wow.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051213/NEWS01/51213003
found from that google link
Jason Tate
12/13/05, 03:48 PM
I DON'T EVEN WANT ONE COPY OF TIMECOP!
-Aca
LOL.
TheRunAround
12/13/05, 03:53 PM
Why are people against Wal-Mart? Oh yeah thats right, they are really succesful company.
read a newspaper
"ethics out the door" - MC Lars says it best
rewindthistime
12/13/05, 03:58 PM
Why are people against Wal-Mart? Oh yeah thats right, they are really succesful company.
HAHAHA. wow.
maybe because they force their 'unhealthy' employees [elderly, smokers, overweight, etc] to work part time so they don't have to give them healthcare benefits.
maybe because they often lock employees in after hours to work without paying overtime.
maybe because they force their suppliers to cut costs so much that the suppliers make no money at all.
oh, couldn't be.
birdman
12/13/05, 04:04 PM
I love it when someone makes a comment and the only comeback anyone has is "read a newspaper" or "read this extremely biased article". How about this, if you dont like wal mart, dont shop there. If someone here tries to tell me that they never go to wal mart to buy something they either dont have one in their area or they are liars.
Despite the fact that wal mart pays shitty, they still employ millions of people. If those people dont like their pay then they can go work somewhere else. Maybe they need to go back to school so that they can get a job that pays more, or work harder to move up in the company.
So I am supposed to be protecting the "mom and pop" stores, what mom and pop stores are we talking about here? Are these nice moms and pops? What if they beat their kids and I am handing them 25 bucks for a dvd that I could get at wal mart for 15 dollars?
TheRunAround
12/13/05, 04:07 PM
I love it when someone makes a comment and the only comeback anyone has is "read a newspaper" or "read this extremely biased article". How about this, if you dont like wal mart, dont shop there. If someone here tries to tell me that they never go to wal mart to buy something they either dont have one in their area or they are liars.
Despite the fact that wal mart pays shitty, they still employ millions of people. If those people dont like their pay then they can go work somewhere else. Maybe they need to go back to school so that they can get a job that pays more, or work harder to move up in the company.
So I am supposed to be protecting the "mom and pop" stores, what mom and pop stores are we talking about here? Are these nice moms and pops? What if they beat their kids and I am handing them 25 bucks for a dvd that I could get at wal mart for 15 dollars?
You can buy a DVD for $15 at wal mart...but they run their business in a way that smaller stores can't compete because they illegally set prices
in fact, for wal-mart to come into an area they have to be exempt for certain price laws, but areas allow them to in the hope it'll create more jobs
Jason Tate
12/13/05, 04:09 PM
I love it when someone makes a comment and the only comeback anyone has is "read a newspaper" or "read this extremely biased article". How about this, if you dont like wal mart, dont shop there. If someone here tries to tell me that they never go to wal mart to buy something they either dont have one in their area or they are liars.
Despite the fact that wal mart pays shitty, they still employ millions of people. If those people dont like their pay then they can go work somewhere else. Maybe they need to go back to school so that they can get a job that pays more, or work harder to move up in the company.
So I am supposed to be protecting the "mom and pop" stores, what mom and pop stores are we talking about here? Are these nice moms and pops? What if they beat their kids and I am handing them 25 bucks for a dvd that I could get at wal mart for 15 dollars?
Fast Company is not bias, it's one of the most well respected business magazines in the country. And the other "article" was a collection of google news posts, it's not like this is "hidden" or a conspiracy theory. It's pretty common knowledge.
As for the "work someplace else" argument, I can only assume you've never taken a college level economics class. I don't have the time to really explain this to you right now, but trust me - your take on this is far more narrow then it should be. Read up on Wal-Mart, read up on their practices, and then tell me that they better for our economy and the common standard of living.
TheRunAround
12/13/05, 04:17 PM
PS - Here's a book to read if you want to go indepth on it -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805063897/102-2149816-5547351?v=glance&n=283155
It's called Nickel and Dimed - about a woman trying to get by working low paying jobs, like most people complain about how Wal-Mart treats employees
Most people in this situation don't have options
For instance, theres something called "The Liveable Wage", a response to "Minimum Wage"
Liveable Wage is how much it costs a person to scrape by with no assistance, and is placed normally about $4 higher than the minimum wage. More socially responsible companies, who operate by what is called "Triple Bottom Line Thinking" employ this (ex. Ben and Jerrys). The thought is that most companies operate under The Bottom Line (money), but triple bottom line thinking focuses on financial, envrionment and social issues. If a company is looking after all three, they are truly being sustainable and a good world citizen
i'm proud to say that i've never bought a single fucking thing from wal-mart and i never will.
Gosh, I sure miss Henry Ford's ideals.
Jason Tate
12/13/05, 04:27 PM
Gosh, I sure miss Henry Ford's ideals.
He was quite an anti-semite (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1891620525/102-5909518-8768103?v=glance&n=283155).
CyberInferno
12/13/05, 04:30 PM
MC Lars. i despise that man so
Agreed. I've tried listening to his stuff, but haven't even found anything tolerable.
birdman
12/13/05, 04:45 PM
Fast Company is not bias, it's one of the most well respected business magazines in the country. And the other "article" was a collection of google news posts, it's not like this is "hidden" or a conspiracy theory. It's pretty common knowledge.
As for the "work someplace else" argument, I can only assume you've never taken a college level economics class. I don't have the time to really explain this to you right now, but trust me - your take on this is far more narrow then it should be. Read up on Wal-Mart, read up on their practices, and then tell me that they better for our economy and the common standard of living.
Well Mr. Tate, i think your take on this is far too broad. I may not be the economics scholar that you are, but i imagine if people dont shop at wal mart, then wal mart will close. Is that wrong? So if you dont like wal mart, dont shop there, thats how you hurt a business you dont agree with. Also, and again I am no Harvard business major like you are, but if I am working somewhere, and I dont get paid enough, or i am not treated right, i get another job...a better job.
Of course, the majority of Wal Mart employees probably dont have the college education I do, so they are vulnerable. All the more reason why getting a good education is important. You cant fight like everyone deserves to get paid a shit load for doing menial tasks like ringing out diapers or stocking the milk aisle. So people with no education are destined to be treated to the lowest level of employment, and you know what, we need those people. We need janitors, garbage men and wal mart employees. I worked at a grocery store for 3 years when i was 14 and never broke 6 dollars an hour, now i work for a major telecommunication company and make over $30,000 dollars a year at age 23. You have to work buddy
timmysavedlatin
12/13/05, 04:50 PM
Despite the fact that wal mart pays shitty, they still employ millions of people. If those people dont like their pay then they can go work somewhere else. Maybe they need to go back to school so that they can get a job that pays more, or work harder to move up in the company.
if you think life is that easy, then you need to do some research. look up some statistics, upward mobility in social class is extremely rare in our country. in fact, it's more likely for people to move down on the social class ladder. there's a lot more to making more money in this country than "getting a new job" or "going back to school". it's all about how much money is in your family already, and what opportunities you are able to get from that.
it's all about networking. the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. there are some exceptions like with every concept, but like marx said "the rich exchange wives."
p.s. just some quick facts. the percentage for upward mobility in social class is 20%. 80% of people will stay the same or go down.
billcom7
12/13/05, 05:06 PM
I like Wal Mart. If people don't like them, then don't shop there. Also if they treat their employees so horribly their employees would quit and find a better job. And no I will not accept the argument that Wal Mart is the only job they can get.
Im anti-Wal-Mart but besides that, does this make anyone else excited about the new Lars cd? He's also shooting a video this weekend for his first single called "Download This Song"
does this make anyone else excited about the new Lars cd?
I heard a bit of it today and it was great. Hopefully I'll get to hear the whole thing this weekend.
TheBig100
12/13/05, 05:51 PM
The blame for Walmart's low pricing putting small stores out of busniess can't be put on Walmart themselves, but on the consumers. The reason that the smaller chains can't compete is because we the consumers stop shopping there. The buying power is in our hands, so trying to blame Walmart won't solve anything.
birdman
12/13/05, 06:02 PM
if you think life is that easy, then you need to do some research. look up some statistics, upward mobility in social class is extremely rare in our country. in fact, it's more likely for people to move down on the social class ladder. there's a lot more to making more money in this country than "getting a new job" or "going back to school". it's all about how much money is in your family already, and what opportunities you are able to get from that.
it's all about networking. the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. there are some exceptions like with every concept, but like marx said "the rich exchange wives."
p.s. just some quick facts. the percentage for upward mobility in social class is 20%. 80% of people will stay the same or go down.
Ummm, well then i guess I am the exception. Because I had no advantages in getting to where I am today. I worked and studied hard to get through school and to get a good job, which I continue to work hard at. Sorry, but life is only as hard as you make it.
I heard a bit of it today and it was great. Hopefully I'll get to hear the whole thing this weekend.
You going to the video? Hopfully I'll be there Sunday, maybe we could meet up
timmysavedlatin
12/13/05, 06:38 PM
Sorry, but life is only as hard as you make it.
you've gotta be kidding me dude. do some research. like i said, there are exceptions, just like everything in the world, but the truth is life isn't as easy as "having ambition" and "working hard". life is about having connections and networking and having previous opportunity. you think a kid who grows up in a shitty neighborhood in LA that goes to a poor school is going to have the same chances as a kid who goes to a beverly hills school? you can't argue with facts, and you can throw out your cute little one-liners about how "if you work hard, you can do it!", but for the most part, that's not how life works.
i went to a middle class neighborhood high school, and our school was funded higher than some but also a lot lower than the rich towns. not a single kid from my graduating class went to an ivy league school. not because they didnt want to or didn't apply or didnt get amazing grades, but because schools like that will rarely have kids from middle class towns.
here's an article about how rich schools keep poor kids out:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/suncommentary/la-op-tuition23oct23,1,5982622.story?coll =la-headlines-suncomment
Big_Guy
12/13/05, 06:58 PM
piece of shit alert!
this guy blows. MC Lars is perfect for most of you ignoramuses.
You going to the video? Hopfully I'll be there Sunday, maybe we could meet up
Too far away, and i have a lan party to hold at school
birdman
12/13/05, 07:28 PM
you've gotta be kidding me dude. do some research. like i said, there are exceptions, just like everything in the world, but the truth is life isn't as easy as "having ambition" and "working hard". life is about having connections and networking and having previous opportunity. you think a kid who grows up in a shitty neighborhood in LA that goes to a poor school is going to have the same chances as a kid who goes to a beverly hills school? you can't argue with facts, and you can throw out your cute little one-liners about how "if you work hard, you can do it!", but for the most part, that's not how life works.
i went to a middle class neighborhood high school, and our school was funded higher than some but also a lot lower than the rich towns. not a single kid from my graduating class went to an ivy league school. not because they didnt want to or didn't apply or didnt get amazing grades, but because schools like that will rarely have kids from middle class towns.
here's an article about how rich schools keep poor kids out:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/suncommentary/la-op-tuition23oct23,1,5982622.story?coll =la-headlines-suncomment
Seriously, stop telling me to do research. I dont need research. The decisions you make in life will always effect where you end up. You could be rich as fuck and get every opportunity there is but if you spend all your time doing blow and sleeping you wont get anywhere will you? Despite the fact that the people on top had the opportunity to get there, they still had to work their asses off and take full advantage of the opportunities their parents worked so hard to get them. No one gets a free ride. Some have to work harder than others, but hard work ALWAYS pays off. Seriously though, stop telling me to read la times articles and do research. Its fucking annoying and it doesnt make your point any clearer. I guess we can all stop shopping at wal mart so all those millions of people lose their jobs and they can get jobs at mcdonalds or something.
goddamngourd
12/13/05, 07:40 PM
Some have to work harder than others, but hard work ALWAYS pays off.
...and in the background, a big american flag is waving and the birds are chirping and the music is playing.
and then the movie ends and millions of americans go back to work overtime at their minimum wage jobs and never get ahead.
birdman
12/13/05, 07:55 PM
and then the movie ends and millions of americans go back to work overtime at their minimum wage jobs and never get ahead.
Well then those people need to find new jobs and stop expecting other hard working citizens to fight their battles for them...seriously people i cant be the only one who feels this way.
goddamngourd
12/13/05, 07:58 PM
Well then those people need to find new jobs and stop expecting other hard working citizens to fight their battles for them...
brilliant. i'm glad you've been doing your research. sounds like the solution to me.
Total Silence
12/13/05, 08:35 PM
MC Lars. i despise that man so
yeah he really is a tool. He needs to go away
mylkhead
12/13/05, 10:03 PM
Too many MC Lars haters out there. I like what he's doing. He's got a good vibe to his music.
As for wal-mart - I agree somewhat that if the wal-mart worker is unhappy, they need to find something better. Just because there is a wal-mart near by does not mean you have to work there. Lots of people are perfectly happy working at Wal-Mart. I am sure most are fine with their low pay jobs. If they wanted more they'd go get it. Sometimes growing up lower class doesn't set the bar very high and they don't have the ambition to get out and rise above.
Fast food jobs are horrible too. I worked at McDonald's for six years through highschool and college to pay the bills. Talk about scraping by. All min-wage jobs are bad. Mostly because of the min-efffort people that surround you. It sucks being a hard worker at a min-wage job surrounded by scum who never show up on time, take endless cigarette breaks, complain about everything, don't listen, etc. They don't get fired because they fill a position. A position that is filled by a min-effort scumbag is better than nobody at all.
mattregan
12/14/05, 12:35 AM
This songs actually pretty good...
Too many MC Lars haters out there. I like what he's doing. He's got a good vibe to his music.
As for wal-mart - I agree somewhat that if the wal-mart worker is unhappy, they need to find something better. Just because there is a wal-mart near by does not mean you have to work there. Lots of people are perfectly happy working at Wal-Mart. I am sure most are fine with their low pay jobs. If they wanted more they'd go get it. Sometimes growing up lower class doesn't set the bar very high and they don't have the ambition to get out and rise above.
Fast food jobs are horrible too. I worked at McDonald's for six years through highschool and college to pay the bills. Talk about scraping by. All min-wage jobs are bad. Mostly because of the min-efffort people that surround you. It sucks being a hard worker at a min-wage job surrounded by scum who never show up on time, take endless cigarette breaks, complain about everything, don't listen, etc. They don't get fired because they fill a position. A position that is filled by a min-effort scumbag is better than nobody at all.
i have to say i pretty much totally agree with you, everyone seems to be looking at things way too black and white
Well Mr. Tate, i think your take on this is far too broad. I may not be the economics scholar that you are, but i imagine if people dont shop at wal mart, then wal mart will close. Is that wrong? So if you dont like wal mart, dont shop there, thats how you hurt a business you dont agree with. Also, and again I am no Harvard business major like you are, but if I am working somewhere, and I dont get paid enough, or i am not treated right, i get another job...a better job.
Of course, the majority of Wal Mart employees probably dont have the college education I do, so they are vulnerable. All the more reason why getting a good education is important. You cant fight like everyone deserves to get paid a shit load for doing menial tasks like ringing out diapers or stocking the milk aisle. So people with no education are destined to be treated to the lowest level of employment, and you know what, we need those people. We need janitors, garbage men and wal mart employees. I worked at a grocery store for 3 years when i was 14 and never broke 6 dollars an hour, now i work for a major telecommunication company and make over $30,000 dollars a year at age 23. You have to work buddy
All I really have to say to this, is fuck you for even lumping these people into the same area as janitors and garbage men. I do work for Wal-mart, with only a high school diploma, and I'll still only be making 10K less than you at two years younger. But for having such a job that you seem to think is bottom of the barrel, I don't think that it's so bad. I would also like to add that it's my first job.
shut the fuck up everyone
OMGsignmyface
12/14/05, 07:40 AM
First of all, the LA Times is owned by The Tribune Company, which is a publicly traded company and depends on stories with substanceless shock value to make money so they can pay the Cubs to suck balls.
Second of all, Wal-Mart is sued so many times because they have massive money that the poor, handout-striving people of this nation can look forward to trying to win. Too bad the cases are typically assanine and squashed as quickly as they come up.
Third of all, Wal-Mart has money because they subsrcibe to the most genius business model retail has ever seen. They don't treat their vendors like shit, they actually pay them more. Wal-Mart cut out all the middle men typically associated with retail establishments, a process called disintermediation. They got their own trucks and warehouses, so they don't have to pay those people anymore. They take that extra money and give a little more of it to the suppliers, and they use a little of the savings to throw back to the consumer.
Read this article to see the other side of the coin:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002654564_medved30.html
It's not so much that Wal-Mart is hurting North America so much right now, but the fact of the matter is that in 10 years their line-up of products is going to range from CDs to Pick-up trucks. So it's one thing to say you don't care that your mom and pop lamp store goes out of business, but in 10 years when an entire community is buying almost everything that they can't get on the internet at a Wal-Mart, there's going to be no going back. So maybe consider doing something about it now instead of saying "hee-yuck, gee golly, I love me some low prices".
P.S. I still can't stand MC Lars
He was quite an anti-semite (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1891620525/102-5909518-8768103?v=glance&n=283155).
I forgot tone doesn't travel well on the internet... :[
vBulletin v3.6.0, Copyright ©2000-2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.